Government Shuts Down as Congress Misses Deadline

Senate Rejects House Bill to Delay Part of Health Law; Obama Gives Notice to Workers

By

Janet Hook and

Kristina Peterson

Updated Oct. 1, 2013 6:51 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON—After three years of ducking crises with last-minute deals, Congress finally ran out of ways to patch over its differences. Unable to meet a midnight Monday deadline for funding the government, lawmakers allowed it to shut down.

The White House ordered federal agencies to suspend a vast array of activities shortly before midnight, after a day of frantic legislative volleying left Senate Democrats and House Republicans at...